You had me at 'I hate you'
by duraburu
Summary: A short triology I originally made as a sort of prequel for my DenSu lemon, but suddenly developped into it's own story. Tells the tale of how Denmark and Sweden met, grew to respect and even like each other. Den/Su, mentions Ice/Fin.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: Axis Powers Hetalia belongs to Himaruya Hidekaz.**

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Denmark stared at the sparkling blue body of water that lay before him. The lake was still, no wind blew over its crystal surface. It was embedded in a valley surrounded by soft hills and the occasional tree. The weather was relatively cold, only very few things grew there, for it was the middle of winter. The lone man standing few meters away from the shore didn't seem bothered by the cold, so lost in memories did he look.

And it had been here, many years ago, that he first met a man whose destiny would be so closely intertwined with his own. Right there, in a summer long ago...

"Ahh!"

A young boy resurfaced from the glistening waves like a merman, sparkling drops of water running down his wet blonde hair. He wore an impossibly wide grin which mirrored in his sea blue eyes. He looked up at a steep cliff with an expression of triumph. For him, it was an affirmation that he could even survive jumping off a cliff and doing a threefold backflip into a random lake. The boy didn't like getting involved in serious business by his superiors, ditching his responsibilities whenever he could. It was a period of uprising, war and expansions. The young boy didn't like it, the constant fighting made his body hurt. To relax, he liked to sneak out and go on long exploring trips with his trusty mare. Of course he couldn't stay away for too long, but he tried to see as much of the world as he could, for he was a curious kind.

Then, the blonde boy waddled out of the waters and shook himself like a dog. The brown horse which was tied to a tree nickered in disapproval when some water hit its fur.

"Come on, old boy! It's just water!" the boy laughed and patted the animal.

Suddenly, he stiffened. A slight rustle alerted him that there was another presence nearby. A sudden gust of wind sent a few raindrops running down the back of his neck and he shuddered.

"Who're you?" a serious voice demanded.

The surprised blonde turned around swiftly to face a young man not much older than himself. The other had blond hair as well, only cut short. He appeared to have turquoise eyes which were squinting at him as if he had a problem with his eyesight. He was dressed in a blue tunic and leather boots, despite the summer heat, and frowned openly at the Dane.

"Yo! I'm Denmark!" the Dane grinned and pointed at himself with his thumb "Who are _you_?"

The frowning boy studied him with some difficulty and crossed his arms in front of his chest. Denmark noted that the other boy seemed very alarmed by his presence.

" 'm Sweden. You're tr'spassing." The other stated with a thick accent and frowned even more deeply.

Denmark rubbed his head at the awkward situation. His boss had told him at least that they were going to invade a nation called Sweden to expand the Danish territory. Right then, he regretted his idea to go out into the wild when there was a war going on. But another gust of wind alerted him that he was still wearing a wet white dress shirt and short black pants, so he swiftly got out of his shirt and dropped it on a flat grey rock.

"You! Wh't 're you doin'?" the other boy suddenly inquired in an overly gruff voice.

Denmark blinked and straightened back up. Was this Sweden trying to sound more mature now? He gave the other a grin and ran a hand through his hair.

"Right right, sorry 'bout that, I was just about to leave, anyway! Well, see ya Sverige!" the cheerful Dane grinned and started untying the hoister of his horse.

Instead of a reply, the tip of something cold and metallic was pressing against his back. The Dane let out a sigh and turned around with raised hands.

"Hey, I didn't know this was your territory! I'm not drunk enough to pick a fight, so unless you have beer with you I'd like to leave now."

"Sh't up!" the Swede growled, clearly angry at the lack of respect Denmark was showing him "I w'n't let you t'ke away my land j'st like that!"

"Hey now, I'm not here to cause trouble, just taking a swim-"

"Lies!" the Swede bellowed suddenly and pushed the tip of his sword against the exposed chest of Denmark.

The Dane flinched when he felt the tip of the blade penetrate his skin and took a step backwards. Sweden seemed extremely angry all of a sudden and pushed him against a tree. Denmark coughed when his back slammed against the wood and came face to face with Sweden, whose turquoise eyes seemed to glow with anger.

"D'n't make 'xcuses!" Sweden bellowed, his voice sounding more and more accusing "Y'r people are inv'ding my l'nd! Don't pr't'nd you don't know!"

Denmark opened his mouth to say something, but he didn't quite find an answer to the accusations. It was true, after all, so he closed it again. The Swede's grip on his sword tightened, his knuckles turning white. It was an extremely tense silence. Denmark's eyebrows shot up when Sweden suddenly dropped his sword and crouched down on the grass with a pained expression. The Dane took a step towards him, but Sweden's head suddenly shot up and he glared at him with tears at the corners of his eyes.

"St'y away fr'm me!" he bellowed and clasped his left shoulder with one hand, while fumbling for his sword with the other "You filthy b'stard!"

Denmark stopped short and his blue eyes widened when he saw a dark red stain grow on Sweden's shoulder. The Dane felt his heart sink when Sweden flinched in pain and curled into himself. He didn't know the exact date, but he knew that his king was going to take Stockholm soon.

"Ngh!" Sweden let out a low pained noise.

Denmark's eyes closed when Sweden shuddered with pain. He took a deep breath and clenched his fists. As soon as his eyes opened, he felt a fist connect with his face and knock him backwards.

"Ah, what the-!" he coughed and held his aching nose.

Sweden stood before him, breathing heavily and holding his shoulder. His eyes were dull and pained, but his face showed a savage expression. His right fist was still clenched. Blood was now seeping from a spot on his chest as well.

"It's all y'r fault!" Sweden spat bitterly "I h'te you!"

That hit. Denmark's surprised eyes hardened and he stood up with a grim face. He had a feeling that Stockholm would be his soon. Thinking of Sweden's land as his own became easier by the minute. His nose still hurt, he felt upset over it. With a cruel smile, he pointed to his left, towards the lake.

"Trespassing? Doesn't look like it _to me_. Because that lake is mine now." The Dane gave the angry Swede a cool smile before he pointed at the bleeding boy "And you'll be mine, too."

At this, Sweden let out an angry grunt and threw himself at the smirking Dane. Due to Sweden's injury it was easy to gain the upper hand in the ensuing struggle, even if the Swede was a few centimetres taller than him. Still, Sweden put up a good fight and even managed to get some hits on Denmark. After a few minutes of intense struggling, Denmark was kneeling above the injured Swede and pinning him down with his hands.

"Oh, what's this? If looks could kill, I'd be dead now!" Denmark mocked the other boy, who glared up at him "You wanna say something, huh?"

But the Swede had his lips planted firmly shut, despite the fact that his shoulder must have hurt like crazy. The Dane couldn't help but give some credit to Sweden's willpower, even when he was defeated. He smirked cockily and took his time studying his opponent a little more closely.

Sweden's hair, while now slightly dirtied by the mud, was naturally bright blonde and rather well kept. He had strong facial features, which were even and symmetrical for the most part. Sweden had a sharp nose and the most intense eyes Denmark had seen as of yet, even if they were now clouded over with pain. He would surely look handsome once fully grown up. Maybe it was unsconscious jealousy, but Denmark enjoyed subduing the rebellious Swede. But then, another feeling hit him.

"Hey, I…" Denmark began, but trailed off, unsure of what to say to the nation he had just conquered.

It wasn't like Denmark liked to invade other people _just for the heck of it_. In his young life, he hadn't seen a real battlefield yet, for he wasn't an experienced warrior. But this particular victory didn't really feel like one for him. Sweden had been at a disadvantage from the start. It was really Denmark's king who had conquered Sweden on even grounds. This thought began to eat away at Denmark as he got up from the Swede and took the nation's sword with him to his horse. His jaw clenched when Denmark realized just how pathetic he really was. He was a nation, for god's sake! He had responsibilities, and if they included fighting against others, that was just it. The blonde climbed on top of his horse and gave the other boy a contemplative look, which Sweden returned with a look full of hatred.

"Hey Sweden, I'm taking this from you since you can't handle it anyway!" he exclaimed with a haughty grin "I'm not fighting the handicapped, it's boring. If you ever want this back, get the hell on your feet and take it! Until then, you're my newest _underling_!"

With a grunt that was more animalistic than human, Sweden jumped on his feet and threw a rock after the retreating Dane, with his injured arm. The Dane let out a small "Ugh" when it hit him in the back of his head.

"Damn you, Sverige!" Denmark turned back to face him and shook his fist in a playful manner.

Sweden would have liked to hurl a whole mountain after him right then.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: Axis Powers Hetalia belongs to Himaruya Hidekaz.**

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„Oi Sverige! What's with those bushes?" a rough voice complained one fine Sunday morning.

Berwald stood up from where he was kneeling on the grass and turned around to face the disgruntled looking Dane. For once, he wasn't wearing his black and red coat, but rather a casual shirt and pants. The blonde blinked and shielded his eyes from the harsh autumn sun beating down on his garden, which was now spotting several new bushes.

"Planted 'em" Sweden stated plainly.

Denmark sighed and dragged a hand down his tired looking face. Sweden didn't comment on it, but the Dane was probably experiencing a severe hangover, judging by the mountain of empty beer bottles Sweden had found when he was cleaning up the living room in the morning.

"I can see that" Denmark answered in an annoyed voice "But why? And who allowed you to, anyway?"

"…"

"Your disobedience is freaking annoying!" Denmark complained and gave the other a dark look "Can't you obey the rules just once? You could've at least asked me whether you can plant those stupid-ass plants!"

Sweden looked actually offended by that. With a frown, he slid the gardening gloves from his hands and crossed his arms over his chest. They stared at each other, neither wanting to back down.

"U-um, Denmark? Your superior called…" a timid voice made both men look at the teen who approached them shyly.

"Right, I'll get it." Denmark muttered and stared evilly at the innocent plants before marching towards the big house.

After a short pause, the smallish teen looked up at Sweden with concerned violet eyes.

"Are you alright, Mr. Sweden?" he asked hesitantly, when Sweden stared him down with his usual stony face.

" 'm fine."

"Uh, okay. I'll go back to cleaning the dishes." Finland excused himself and hurried inside the house.

Sweden stared after him for a while. Lately, something had been disturbing his peace of mind. He couldn't quite place it, but it felt like something which had been repressed for a long time was struggling to surface. He didn't like how his normal routines were silently pestered by strange thoughts. Sweden usually liked to provoke and disobey Denmark, who kept acting like he owned the world, just because he had assembled all of the Nordics in his house. But lately, he'd been trying harder to anger the cocky Dane, without really knowing why. Maybe it was just boredom. Denmark's home by the sea wasn't exactly the most exciting place.

As it was, Sweden decided to think about it later, for the sun would set soon and the evenings became more and more chilly each day, besides he still had to finish planting two more rose bushes. The quiet man had taken a liking to white roses, for their pure colour calmed him down. Over time, he'd become a quite skilled gardener and even managed to rescue the neglected flower patches in Denmark's garden.

It was shortly after the sun went down that Sweden returned into the house he disliked. It was big, even for five people. Being the Nordics, they were all quite introverted, except for Denmark, of course. Sweden closed the wooden door silently and brushed his feet off on the doormat. The hallway smelled of cleaner, which indicated that Finland had once again done a good job polishing the hardwood floor. Sweden felt sorry for the nervous boy. He was terrified of Denmark's anger and did everything he was told without complaint. The boy was a kind person, though, and Sweden liked him very much.

A crashing noise from the kitchen sent him on alert and he quickly made his way over to see what caused the noise. When he opened the door, Finland jumped and turned towards him. His face was pale and aghast, eyes wide. Sweden's brows furrowed and he looked down. The pieces of a shattered plate were spread out on the floor. Even the stoic Swede gulped when he realized that it was an ancient and treasured plate from one of Denmark's former rulers. A plate which meant a lot to Denmark.

Both of them felt their breath hitch when distant creaking noises alerted them of somebody coming down the old staircase and towards the kitchen. Finland let out a small whimper.

"Yo guys, what was that noise just… now.." Denmark's grin faltered when he spotted the mess on the kitchen floor.

It was silent for a few seconds. Sweden felt the hairs on the back of his neck rise as he nearly saw the anger grow inside of the slightly shorter man. Denmark's blue eyes were sharp and deadly when he looked up again. His face was completely devoid of emotion and he took another step into the kitchen.

"Who did this?" he inquired in a barely controlled voice.

Sweden saw how Finland started to shake and nearly start crying. Denmark's gaze fixed on the small nation with the aura of a predator. Sweden knew that look. After their first encounter, he had witnessed the cheerful and easy going boy become harder and stronger with each battle he fought. Denmark was still cheerful and easy going, but now he was also strong and merciless. Even the rebellious Swede acknowledged Denmark's wrath as something not to be messed with. At least for now.

"It..It.." Finland stuttered and gripped the counter behind him for support when the dealy blue gaze fixed on him.

" 't w's my fault."

Denmark's eyes snapped over to the tall man, a disdaining frown working its way on his features. Sweden countered the livid blue gaze with his own unreadable turquoise stare. A muffled hiccup broke the tense silence.

"My office. Now." Denmark commanded sharply and turned to leave the kitchen.

Sweden followed suit, without looking back at the shaking young man. The walk to Denmark's office dragged out like eternity, during which Sweden tried to find an answer as to why he took the blame for the precious broken plate in the first place. What kind of insane impulse got him into this mess? He couldn't even remember the last time he'd seen Denmark so angry. Perhaps because the Dane wasn't around very much, after all he had to work a lot for his superiors. Perhaps it was a fatal mix between boredom, defiance and wanting to make Denmark look at him-

Sweden's eyes widened, partially because he was slammed against a wall once inside the office, and partially because he was confused about the last part of his self-analysis.

"Goddammit Sweden! I've had it with your fricking need to rebel against me! I'm fed up!" Denmark shouted at him and pressed his arms against the wall "What the fuck were you thinking, breaking this special plate!"

Sweden stayed silent, knowing better than to talk back right then, when Denmark was close to loosing control. His blue eyes were blazing with fury and his face was mirroring it. He might be a jolly fellow when calm, but was absolutely terrifying when angry.

"That plate was _precious_ to me! It was a gift from King Christian III! Do you have any idea how old it was? No, but you probably don't care, do you Sweden? You just want to piss me off! I've tried to make you feel at home but you seem to be determined to ruin my efforts!" Denmark's voice became louder with each sentence, making Sweden shift and wince when the pressure on his arms increased.

"I've tried, okay? I've fucking tried to make up for what happened at Copenhagen! But you don't even try to forgive me, do you? I'm so fucking sick of your shit!"

"You sh'ldn't have inv'ded me in th' first place!" Sweden finally bit back, feeling his own temper rise, "Never w'nted you there! If you're so sick 'f me, why don't _you_ leave?"

"Damn you!" Denmark finally screeched and punched him in the gut.

Sweden coughed and doubled over, only to receive a kick into his side. It seemed like Denmark finally lost his temper. Berwald swiftly evaded a kick to his head and stumbled back into a defensive position. Denmark came charging at him and the ensuing struggle became very wild and painful for both of them. It was like Sweden had suddenly been thrown back in time, to the day he first lost to the Dane. His willpower returned and he began to fight back against the raging man. But this time, their struggle lasted much longer, for they were on even grounds now.

Chairs were knocked over and papers flew through the air as the two men trashed Denmark's office, trying to inflict as much pain to the other as they could. Despite Denmark's "efforts", Sweden never grew to like him, for he was a prisoner. And Sweden really, really hated being imprisoned. He grunted when he stumbled over a fallen chair and landed on his back painfully. Denmark saw his chance and pounced on him, painfully crushing Sweden's stomach under his weight. The Swede tried to knock him off, but Denmark gripped both of his hands and forced them down. In an effort to make the Dane let go, he shifted around and tried to sit up, only to be pressed to the floor when Denmark kneeled over him on all fours and stared him in the eyes with a strange look.

"You still suck at fighting, Sweden." He stated and oppressed any struggling Sweden put up, "I don't even know. I have no idea who you really are. I can't tell what's going on in that stubborn head of yours."

Sweden blinked slowly, his breath coming out in loud huffs. Denmark sounded definitely less angry than before, but why? The Dane had an unreadable expression on his face as he stared down at Sweden. The taller blonde felt uncomfortable under such a studying gaze and forced himself to look away from Denmark's face. What did he know, anyway?

"…don't w'nt to know you." Sweden muttered spitefully and stared to the side.

"But_ I_ want to know _you_." Denmark retorted, which made the Swede stare at him with disbelief.

Denmark eased his grip on Sweden's writs and let his right hand travel to a nearly faded scar on Berwald's left collarbone. He pushed part of Sweden's collar away to reveal the long thin scar.

"For example… What happened here?" Denmark asked slowly, tracing the scar with his index finger.

Sweden shifted again, feeling slightly stressed and mortified. Denmark's cool finger tracing his hot chest left a weird sensation running down his spine. Thoughts were bombarding his brain, most of them concerned and suspicious of what Denmark was planning. His lips were firmly planted shut, even when Denmark undid more of the buttons of Sweden's shirt and uncovered his whole chest. The heat rushed into Sweden's face when Denmark's eyes widened in shock at what he found.

"…"

"Is that… Was that.. _me_?" Denmark whispered in disbelief.

Sweden's chest was covered in dozens of faint white scars, running in all directions. It was just another proof of how much he'd already gone through, at the hands of the Dane, too. They were hardly visible, but still there. A strange emotion spread through Sweden when he saw how appalled the Dane looked at seeing his bare chest. It made him want to curl up into himself. Was that shame?

"..g't off me" Sweden demanded weakly, resistance all but gone.

"Sverige….I…"

"I said g't off me!" Sweden suddenly barked and jerked his wrist away from the Dane's loose grip.

Denmark watched in discomfort as the taller man clenched his jaw and stared at him with something akin to desperation. By suddenly looking so vulnerable, the Swede had thrown Denmark off track. He realized that he should probably stop holding him in a humiliating position and stood up, holding a hand out, which Sweden ignored as he got on his own feet. Under an insecure and watchful blue gaze, Sweden buttoned up his shirt and left the messy office without another glance or word towards Denmark.

If there was one thing the Dane had learned that day, it was that he had no idea of what was going on inside of Sweden, despite the fact that they had been living together for decades. Maybe even the stoic Swede had a vulnerable and sensitive side. And he had hurt it, most definitely.

"Berwald… I _really_ want to know you.." Denmark muttered and looked at the white rose bushes under his window.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: Axis Powers Hetalia belongs to Himaruya Hidekaz.**

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The seasons had passed once again. By now, it was winter in the country of Denmark. The sea was steely grey and the flat land was frozen and dead, almost tundra like. Harsh wind from the East blew over the empty dunes and through the bare garden of Denmark's house. The bushes were without leaves and shook in the breezes. It was Christmas Eve, and Denmark had decided that he wanted to bring his fellow nations closer together to strengthen their boundaries. So he actually made the effort to talk Sweden and the others into preparing for a big Christmas party.

"It's freezing." Norway commented icily and pulled his cloak closer to his thin body "This is the kind of idea only a monkey could think of."

"Haha, right." Denmark grinned, not catching the insult in the smaller nation's words.

Norway narrowed his eyes at him and looked away with a frown. Sweden agreed silently with him and looked away as well. It was beyond him why the cheery Dane had dragged him into going out and getting a Christmas tree, when he was able to carry it himself.

Finland and Iceland were ordered to stay home and prepare a grand dinner. None of them were very happy about it, but they didn't voice any complaints. At least it was better than going out into the woods when it was storming and snowing [1].

"Ooooh, look guys, this one looks cool!" Denmark suddenly proclaimed and pointed at a huge tree with the biggest grin his frozen cheeks could muster.

"Hm" Norway spared the tree a spiteful glance.

"What do you think, Sverige?" Denmark smiled and turned to the silent Swede, "Is it good?"

"Its fine," he grumbled and rubbed his hands together.

"Great! Well then, guys! Let's get it!" Denmark whipped out a saw blade he'd carried with him and turned towards his companions with an expecting grin, "One of you will have to get the other end! Come on!"

Norway looked very much like he would prefer to saw Denmark's head off instead of a tree, while Sweden just looked exasperated. Denmark's grin gained a rather sharp edge, so the tall nation finally gave in with a sigh and grabbed the other end of the saw.

"And go!" the Dane exclaimed as they began an unsteady sawing rhythm.

Unfortunately, they were so out of tune that the tree's stem splintered and became fuzzy. After a short while, both men were huffing and puffing, each trying to force his rhythm on the other.

"You're g'ing too fast!" Sweden groaned after a while and straightened his back, which made a few popping sounds.

"You're just slow!" Denmark accused back and rolled his shoulders.

"Hurry up already, my cheeks are frozen!" Norway hissed from behind.

Denmark sighed in annoyance. That wasn't how he had imagined it. All he had wanted was to get closer to the two iciest nations in his home, and he wasn't making any progress. Suddenly, his face lit up with an idea.

"Hey Sweden, seeing as we're halfway through with the tree, how about we just push it over? It'll save us time!" he proposed with a grin.

Sweden gave him a dubious look. "Y' think th't will work?"

"Let's try it!" the cheery Dane said and put his hands against the stem of the fir.

Sweden let out a low sigh and put his hands next to Denmark's. He noted fleetingly that both of their hands seemed to have the same size. They started pushing and the tree began to lean down. It was a very tall tree, probably about 4 meters high [2]. A crack echoed through the wood as the tree plummeted on the sledge they had brought. Denmark put his hands on his hips and grinned triumphantly, while Sweden was just glad he'd get back into the house soon. He still refused to call it 'home'. Norway walked towards them with rather stiff movements and was about to make a snide remark, when his eyes fell on the tree and widened lightly.

"What-?"

"It's sliding away!" Norway stated dumbfounded.

Seeing as they were on top of a rather steep mountain, it appeared that the tree was sliding down on its own. Denmark let out an outraged roar and jumped on the sledge, but it was too late, the surface was steep and the sledge gaining more speed. Denmark clutched the sides of the sledge and tried to stop it, but couldn't do anything. He heard shouts behind him. Suddenly, his body was crushed by something heavy.

"What the f-" he groaned and looked up, only to find a stony faced Sweden lying on top of him and the sledge, who didn't seem fazed and kept rocketing down the hill. Denmark's face scrunched up when he felt the stem of the fir poke into his back none too gently and slid to the side to make space. Sweden turned his eyes to the front, only to see them slide down a hill which reminded him of a drop of a rollercoaster.

"Where's Norway?" Denmark managed to ask and pressed himself flat on the sledge.

" 'unno" Sweden muttered and grabbed the tree for support.

"Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"

Both men looked up when they heard a disdainful screech, only to see Norway plummet down from above and on the tree. The sledge began to sway, but didn't tumble over. There was a pause as Norway carefully climbed on top of the stem front of the two men. He was pale and his hair ruffled, instead of saying anything, he just hugged the tree and closed his eyes.

The trio on the Christmas tree kept riding down the mountain. Denmark started to enjoy the sledge ride and even Sweden's look of doom seemed to lessen. Only Norway was a nervous wreck, but sacrifices had to be made.

"This is pretty fun, eh?" he questioned the Swede with a grin.

"Sh't up" Sweden muttered half-heartedly.

"Jeg vil drepe den jævla troll [3]" Norway whispered to himself.

The Dane's eyes suddenly widened. "Lean on me, Sweden! There's a curve to the right!"

Sweden stared incredulously at him and then at the curve. "Wh't?"

"Come on! We'll go down the edge if we don't manoeuvre around!" Denmark hissed impatiently and leaned to the left.

Sweden seemed to hesitate, but the curve was approaching fast. Just as he decided to lean towards the Dane, the sledge bucked and swayed dangerously close to the edge. The fir tree gave way ever so slightly and suddenly, the whole sledge jerked to the right, making Sweden loose his grip and roll over the edge, down a steep abyss. Sweden wrenched his eyes shut, but then, his fall stopped.

"Fuck Berwald, you scared me!" a rough voice coughed from above.

Sweden's eyes widened when he realized that Denmark was holding onto the back of his uniform, preventing him from falling. The Dane managed to somehow keep the sledge on solid ground and hold onto Sweden all at once, mobilising a strength he didn't know he possessed. But it didn't matter right then. Denmark clenched his teeth when his arm was dragged along the edge of the cliff by Sweden's weight, but he still didn't let go.

Sweden in return saw Denmark's pained expression and clenched his teeth. Why was Denmark even trying after all the trouble he had caused?

"L..let go!" he shouted up with a hoarse voice.

What happened next surprised him utterly.

"What the hell! I'll never let you go! No man will die under my protection!" Denmark's face suddenly seemed much more mature and determined, with a surprising strength in his words. Sweden was lost for words. He just gawked at the one who had captured him, only to become his saviour now.

"Norway!" Denmark bellowed in a unusually commanding tone, making the shell-shocked youth look up "Get to the opposite site and try to use your weight to balance the sledge! Sweden, grab my arms!"

Norway leaned as far away from the edge as he could, pulling the tree with him. Denmark leaned halfway over the edge so that Sweden could reach him. The Swede ground his teeth and grabbed for Denmark's hands. Once he had a grip, Denmark looked him straight in the eyes, with such a sincere look that his heart stopped for a second.

"Do you trust me?" Denmark asked seriously.

"I.." Sweden felt the urge to cough, even when he couldn't, but the urgency of Denmark's look seized him "It's.."

"Berwald, please!" Denmark squeezed his hands "Just this once, you need to trust me!"

"..I trust you.." Sweden breathed, and he could've sworn that Denmark's eyes lit up for a second.

"Norway! On my command, you throw yourself against the back wall of the sledge, get it?"

"Yeah!"

"One.." Denmark's eyes met Sweden's frightened ones "Two.."

The end of the cliff was approaching fast. Denmark gave Sweden's hands a reassuring squeeze.

"Three!"

With superhuman strength, Denmark jerked Sweden upwards and over the edge, while Norway slammed against the side of the sledge. Time seemed to go in slow motion as Sweden's body flew through the air, Denmark slid to the side and the sledge swayed and nearly toppled over. Seconds later, Sweden was lying on his back in the middle of the traditional Santa-Claus sledge they had borrowed from Finland, with Denmark hovering above him with a concerned look on his face.

"Sverige? Sverige are you allright?" he asked worriedly and shook him.

" 'm…. fine.." Sweden breathed staring dead into Denmark's eyes with a surprised and unsure look.

"Great!" the Dane beamed down at him and slung an arm around his shoulder to help him sit up.

Sweden numbly registered that Denmark was suddenly very close and that warmth seeped into his body after the wind had blown over him. Unconsciously, he leaned towards the warmth radiating off Denmark's body. Norway looked very pale, but somewhat euphoric, probably because he wasn't a puddle of blood at the bottom of a cliff yet. Even the ghost of a smile was on his face when Denmark cheered loudly and threw his arms in the air.

They reached the base of the mountain without other incidents and settled for pulling the sledge the rest of the way back home, after their ride came to a stop.

"Everyone! You're so late!" Finland came to the front door to greet them with a small smile, Iceland trailing behind him, looking somewhat apathetic.

"Hey Finland! Is diner ready yet? I feel like celebrating!" Denmark shouted excitedly.

"Yes it is. But shouldn't we put up the tree first?"

"Probably a good idea! We really earned this tree." Denmark grinned, while Sweden gave an irritated look and Norway groaned quietly.

"Huh?"

"Nothing! Let's get this baby inside~!"

All five Nordics put up the tree in the big living room and decorated it until everybody was satisfied with the result. Denmark was nearly bursting with pride when he inspected the end result. The others seemed happy about it, too. He grinned widely. For once, they were close like a family. Before he had time to muse any further, his stomach grumbled loudly.

"Ah, time for diner!" He laughed.

Regarding what they had gone through over the day, the diner Finland and Iceland had prepared was especially tasty. After everybody had enjoyed their respective favourite foods, Denmark insisted that they played some games together. Initially, the idea was opposed by everybody except Finland, but after some persuasion they eventually agreed to a game of scrabble [4].

Much to his chagrin, Norway sucked at it and lost early on, eventually leaving the group to go to bed. During the next rounds, Finland and Iceland lost as well, but decided to stay and watch the duel between Denmark and Sweden, who seemed to be oddly good at the game, considering he didn't speak much. Still, it was a long party, during which each of them ran out of words twice without reaching a conclusion. A soft snoring alerted them that Finland had fallen asleep on the couch, along with Iceland, on whose shoulder Finland's head was resting. Making dinner seemed to have taken its toll on them.

"Yo Sverige, why are you so good at this bloody game?" Denmark inquired with a smirk and looked up from where he was studying his letters.

".. d'n't kn'w" Sweden muttered and studied his own.

After another few minutes of silence, Denmark suddenly let out a victorious snort and threw his letters down on the board.

"Ha, beat that!" he grinned and arranged his letters so they formed the word 'Friendship'.

Sweden stared at the word, then at Denmark, who was looking at him expectantly. The taller blonde felt a slight tug at the corner of his mouth. Denmark seemed to notice this, making him smile while a mischievous twinkle lit up his blue eyes. Sweden felt a spark shoot through his body and straightened his back automatically. Why did he suddenly feel so-

"Let's see.." Sweden muttered and regarded the word constellations.

Apparently, the only free space was the vertical line that ran through the letter "E" in 'Friendship'. Then, Sweden's gaze wandered down to his remaining three letters. He blinked, and then froze. Heat rushed into his face as he gave the letters an incredulous look. It couldn't be? Could it...be?

"Ha, what's the matter? Can't make a word, huh?" Denmark laughed and gave him a teasing look.

"No." Sweden muttered and glanced at a nearby clock to avoid the Dane's eyes, "'m tired. I'll go t' bed now."

"Heh, so I win this round!" Denmark grinned and stood up as well.

Sweden didn't answer as he draped a blanket over the two sleeping nations on the couch. He heard Denmark shuffle towards the kitchen, probably to get a last beer before bed. Sweden used that time to discreetly drop the three letters he had left on the board and make his exit from the dim room.

Those remaining letters were L, O and V.

* * *

[1] I honestly suck at geography, therefore I don't know whether it snows in Denmark or not.

[2] For you inch-users, that would be about twice the height of your average room door.

[3] Means "I will kill that fucking troll" in Norwegian. If you don't catch the reference, you suck.

[4] I don't know jack about Scrabble, but I know it's a lot like a crossword, except you have to make up your own words with the letters you have on your hand.


End file.
